Crystalized Fossil Whelk - 3.4 Inches

This is a stunning fossil Whelk (Busycon rucksorum) covered with golden, amber colored calcite crystals. It's 3.4" inches tall and approximately 2 million years old. While I have not tried to myself, supposedly the calcite crystals from this location fluoresce under UV light.

It comes from "Ruck's Pit" in Florida. Ruck's Pit was a small cement quarry, that for several years in the early 2000's produced some amazing crystal lined fossils. The quarry has been shut down and filled in with water for several years, so these fossils are no longer being found. Because of this it's difficult to acquire these remarkable crystal filled fossil shells, particularly ones of high quality such as this one.

Welk's were predatory sea snails that fed mainly on bivalves.

A geological paper on they unique geology and fossil occurrences in Ruck's Pit can be found here.